The Chinese place great emphasis and value on the education of their children and as a result at least nine years of schooling has been compulsory in China since new education reforms were passed back in 1986.  The availability of schools and higher education institutes in China is good and education in China is currently free for all students even at university level.

However, the Chinese school system is so foreign to western children that the vast majority of expatriates living and working in China send their children to international schools in cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen or they send them overseas to boarding school.  This article looks in detail at the education system in China and the schooling options available to expatriate parents.

Official state run pre-school education is available for children between the ages of three and six at kindergartens, of which there are many in all the main towns and cities in China.  Children’s education at this level is informal but the fundamentals they are taught are truth, kindness and beauty.  Primary schools are attended by Chinese students for six years and education becomes more formal; subjects such as mathematics, moral education and Chinese language are taught and foreign languages such as English are an optional extra for senior primary school children.

Once children reach high school age their education is divided into two parts, initially they have three years of a junior high school program before progressing to senior high school.  Subjects taught include the main sciences and humanities and strong emphasis and encouragement is also placed on physical education.  Once children enter their senior high school years they are prepared for the national college entrance exams and students are separated into either studying arts and humanities or studying science and engineering.

Children who have the ability to go on to higher education apply for university by taking a series of exams that take place across China annually in July.  Those who pass the exams are also assessed for qualification on moral and physical grounds and a brief look at a student’s social behaviour is also conducted.

It used to be the case in China that all university education was free but slowly the government are introducing paid places and there has been some discussion about whether all universities in China will eventually become fee paying.  Currently those children who are eligible for a university place and who cannot afford to pay for tuition receive free tuition and board and lodging.  As stated the Chinese place great emphasis on the all round education of their children because they know that the key to the development of their nation lies in the hands of the younger generation and it is therefore unlikely that children will ever be prejudiced against because they cannot afford to pay for their education in China.

For expatriates living and working in China the thought of entering their children into the Chinese education system where they will be taught in Mandarin and have to sing the national anthem every day is daunting!  The majority of expats therefore favour the international schools in China which are fee paying but which teach through the medium of English and follow the British, American or Australian national curriculum for example.  Cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Xiamen and Shenzhen all have a range of international pre, primary and secondary schools for expatriate children and lists of the main schools per city can be found on the Move and Stay.com website.